The Association for Behavior Analysis International® (ABAI) is a nonprofit membership organization with the mission to contribute to the well-being of society by developing, enhancing, and supporting the growth and vitality of the science of behavior analysis through research, education, and practice.

Event Detail

44th Annual Convention; San Diego, CA; 2018

Event Details

Feedback Accuracy: Gathering, Delivering, and Its Effect on Performance

Saturday, May 26, 2018

3:00 PM–4:50 PM

Marriott Marquis, Marina Ballroom D

Area: OBM/VRB; Domain: Applied Research

CE Instructor: Byron J. Wine, Ph.D.

Chair: Andressa Sleiman (Florida Institute of Technology )

Discussant: Byron J. Wine (The Faison Center)

Abstract: Feedback has been shown to be effective in increasing and maintaining performance in organizations. Despite its abundant research within the field of Organizational Behavior Management (OBM), a gap remains in the literature in understanding under which environmental arrangement feedback is the most effective in increasing and maintaining performance, as well as under which environmental arrangement the observer is more likely to deliver accurate feedback. This symposium will present four studies relating to gathering feedback and/or feedback accuracy. Specifically, the first study, evaluated patterns of responding and patterns of feedback request of anonymous, internet-based feedback. The second study evaluated the effects of feedback accuracy on rumor during an analogue task. The third study evaluated the relative effects of feedback accuracy and trainer verbal behavior on performance during an analogue task. The final study evaluated the variables that impact feedback accuracy during coaching interaction.

Instruction Level: Intermediate

Keyword(s): Accuracy, Feedback, Rumor

Target Audience: The target audience for this symposium is anyone who provides feedback in their daily jobs. Including: BCBA's, OBMers, practitioners, and scholars.

Abstract: Frequent feedback has been linked to more consistent improvements in performance greater job satisfaction, and lower intention to leave the organization. However, some people report feeling uncomfortable providing honest feedback in the workplace. In addition, research suggests that people are more likely to seek feedback when it is given through the computer rather than face-to-face and when feedback is easily accessible. There is evidence that feedback provided through technology improves work performance and learning more than the same feedback delivered face-to-face. This study evaluated a total of 1223 feedback questions and their corresponding responses from a web service that allows users to ask feedback questions and receive responses anonymously. We categorized the questions in terms of valance, ending type, people, personalization, and specificity. We coded feedback responses in terms of the number of pieces of feedback per response and had information about number of people asked and response. Results and future implications will be discussed.

Abstract: Feedback is the most commonly used intervention in Organizational Behavior Management (OBM). Recent OBM research has examined both the effects of inaccurate feedback (FB) on performance as well as rumors created due to inaccurate rules. The current study expanded upon both of these lines of research by examining the verbal behavior exhibited by dyads of participants during an analogue task as they were exposed to three different levels of FB accuracy (i.e., one-third FB of the actual number of entries completed, accurate FB, and tripled FB of the actual number of entries completed). The results of the study showed that participants exhibited different types and levels of verbal behavior depending on the level of feedback accuracy to which they were exposed. Specifically, more feedback rumor statements were exhibited during conditions with inaccurate feedback compared to the condition with accurate feedback. Implications, limitations of the study, and directions for future research are discussed.

The Relative Effects of Feedback Accuracy and Trainer Verbal Behavior on Performance During an Analogue Task

Abstract: Feedback is the most commonly used intervention in Organizational Behavior Management (OBM). Recent OBM research has examined both the effects of inaccurate feedback (FB) on performance as well as rumors created due to inaccurate rules. The current study expanded upon both of these lines of research by examining the verbal behavior exhibited by dyads of participants during an analogue task as they were exposed to three different levels of FB accuracy (i.e., one-third FB of the actual number of entries completed, accurate FB, and tripled FB of the actual number of entries completed). The study also assessed the relative effects of two independent variables on performance during an analogue work task: the type of verbal behavior regarding FB accuracy provided during training by confederates posing as participants (i.e., being told during training that FB accuracy during their task was incorrect) and the actual FB accuracy to which participants were exposed during the analogue work task (i.e., one-third, accurate, and tripled). The results of the study showed that participants exhibited different types and levels of verbal behavior depending on the level of FB accuracy to which they were exposed. Additionally, the type of verbal behavior regarding FB accuracy provided during training by confederates posing as participants and the level of FB accuracy to which participants were exposed affected performance on the analogue task. Implications, limitations of the study, and directions for future research are discussed.

An Assessment of Variables That Impact Feedback Accuracy During Coaching Interactions

Abstract: Feedback is the most commonly used intervention in organizational behavior management (OBM) and accurate feedback is most effective at improving performance. To efficiently influence performance, we should focus on accurate data that leads to accurate feedback. The current study combines 2 parts to investigate factors that might influence less accurate data collection or feedback delivery. Part 1 of the current study uses a counterbalanced ABAB design to compare observation only conditions with observations plus required feedback conditions. Results suggest that requiring observers to provide immediate feedback, following a safety observation, leads to less accurate data than when observers are not required to provide feedback following an observation. Part 2 of the current study uses a multiple baseline design that attempts to evaluate the specific variables that may contribute to this disparity between the two phases. Results of both parts of this study, limitations, and future directions will be discussed within.